Progress appears to be moving forward on the upcoming Nic Cage sequels. On Tuesday, a new report published at THR noted that Nicolas Cage has been in very high demand for action movie roles since appearing in the acclaimed drama Pig. The report notes that in addition to this career renaissance landing him movies like the upcoming horror-comedy Renfield, Cage is also "in various stages of discussions" to return for sequels to some of his other hit films from years past. Along with a possible return to the National Treasure franchise, Cage is also said to be in talks for Face/Off 2.
Last year, it was reported that Godzilla vs. Kong helmer Adam Wingard would be directing a new Face/Off movie. The filmmaker has since clarified that the film is being developed as a direct sequel to the first movie, but it has since been unclear if Cage will be coming back alongside John Travolta. While Travolta has been silent on the situation, Cage bluntly said in a Reddit AMA in April that he would return to the role of Castor Troy. He also noted how the original film is his "favorite action movie."
"Face/Off is my favorite action movie, largely because we had the maestro John Woo to direct," he said. "The process was a matter of getting video of Travolta’s dailies and trying to study it so I could copy his voice and movements. John Travolta conversely did the same with my dailies."
In June, Wingard also said of the screenplay co-written with Simon Barrett, "We're really honing in on [the script]. We're not going to share it until everybody's like, 'This is the one.' I think we really got it. It has been probably the most challenging script we've ever worked on, for a lot of reasons. There's so much pressure in wanting to make sure that it lives up to the legacy of that project. But every draft you have these things that just click in, and you're like, 'A-ha! That's really what Face/Off is!'"
Is Nicolas Cage Returning for National Treasure 3?
The future of Cage in the National Treasure franchise also seemed unclear, as the story will continue in a spinoff series coming to Disney+. Called National Treasure: Edge of History, the series features Lisette Alexis in the lead role, and though it's set in the same universe, there hasn't been any indication of Cage making an appearance to reprise his role as Ben Franklin Gates.
However, producer Jerry Bruckheimer teased in August that National Treasure 3 could still happen with Cage making his return. At the time, Bruckheimer said that a script was in the works but that "hopefully" Cage will like it enough to agree to come back, suggesting there's interest on Disney's side in making it happen. News of Cage having since entered negotiations for a return is the update many fans have been hoping to hear.
National Treasure: Edge of History will premiere on Disney+ on Dec. 14, 2022.